Your going to have to be a lot more specific than "I want a cheap VHF radio". It is not nearly that simple. I posed a few questions for you in the explorer forum where you asked the same thing....

1. Are you exlplorers allowed to have FD frequency radios of your own?
1.5. Is this for your own use and NOT on the main FD channel?
2. How do you plan on programming them?
3. How do you plan on controlling thier use (and abuse)

There is no such thing as "Really Cheap Radios" (radio, yes. Radios no. Remember, you also need a battery that isn't toast, and a charger for each one.

What Wally World and Crapio Shack sell are not commercial radios. They are MURS radios which operate only a 5 or so license free (ie- Free for All) channels. You can't just buy a commercial public safety radio at WalMart, they don't sell them.

Radios

I'm not sure if you are looking to buy new or not but the best place I have found to purchase new is www.actioncommunications.com they offer new radios at great prices. Our dept just purchased new Icom radios from them. I know they offer 16 channel Icom's with programming for less than $200 but I'm not sure of the exact price, it depends on the quanity. But if you just shop around I'm sure you'll find what your looking for.